president obama welcomes congressional leaders at the top of the hour. will come up with something to avoid automatic spending cuts? that go into effect in a couple days? rich edson is in washington d.c. with the latest. rich: it is a last-ditch attempt between top democrat and republican in the house and senate and the obama administration. aids describing a potential path forward, smaller compromise involving an extension of tax rates for income less than $500,000, extended unemployment benefits, measures to assure tens of millions of americans avoid the alternative minimum tax, other items, congress would figure the rest out next year under such a scenario but that is not an official proposal, a deal that aides say could have house and senate if democrat and republican leaders agreed to it. currently there is no agreement, just lawmakers assigning blame. >> millions of americans are out there struggling and certainly they deserve congress that will avoid going over the fiscal cliff. which is why the president has been working to bring the leaders toge